Clippers vs Thunder Playoffs Gm. #2 Game Thread 2014-05-07 (P. 14)

I'm at a loss. We basically have to play perfect to win as a result and they can play not their best and win. I just feel okc is more likely to win 3/5 than we are

JQuick32

05/08/2014 - 01:10 AM PST

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I don't think we have to play perfect to win, we just have to actually try and put forth effort, unlike tonight.

CapsNClips

05/08/2014 - 01:16 AM PST

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Wait, we have to play perfect basketball in the NBA Playoffs to beat the #2 seed Oklahoma City Thunder with the league MVP on their roster and home court advantage?

That's some progressive thinking right there. Because I thought we had to play average basketball to beat them.

It's the f*cking NBA Playoffs. Of course we have to play perfect basketball. And guess what, so do they.

cleepers

05/08/2014 - 01:19 AM PST

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They don't have home court advantage... we do.

Gotcha!

ClippersDA

05/08/2014 - 01:22 AM PST

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The second we lose a game on our court they get it back, obviously. They have a good chance of getting one. They are a good team. The rebounding has been a major problem that is crippling.

CapsNClips

05/08/2014 - 01:25 AM PST

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I must've been blinded by the negativity from people on here talking as if the next 5 games are @OKC and we have no chance of ever winning again.

cleepers

05/08/2014 - 01:29 AM PST

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Obviously... but considering that we've beaten them handily twice on their own floor this season, there's no need to panic. Unless, of course, Durant picks up a Nobel peace prize and tearfully gives the commish a shout-out.

bk201

05/08/2014 - 01:33 AM PST

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Well most of us are pretty negative especially Jquick but Hey despite all the negativity we won against the GSW, so we are trying to consistent here. lol

cleepers

05/08/2014 - 01:41 AM PST

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Yep... might as well blow it all up right now... why wait?

I think we could get the ghosts of kobe and Pau for Blake and CP3 if we're lucky.

TheDude

05/08/2014 - 01:45 AM PST

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not worried. they're so one dimensional with two guys taking all the shots. This is an easier team to game plan against vs. golden st.

Tonight was almost a scheduled loss after the mvp speech yesterday and a laugher in game1. Clips will be sharp and win on Friday.

Kmartshopper

05/08/2014 - 01:47 AM PST

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Let Westbrook keep shooting. The media will likely be back to 'blame Russell' mode after game 3.

CapsNClips

05/08/2014 - 01:50 AM PST

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You think Mitch will budge on throwing in Steve Nash? We might have to throw in 2 first and 2 second round picks for him.

I expect the OKC to win in game two but at least just 11 points at their court and we won by 19, game 3 & 4 will be ours by wide margin at game 3 and game 4 maybe close but we will still win.

Clippersfan86

05/08/2014 - 01:54 AM PST

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I get not wanting people to panic... But I think its ignorant to downplay every loss Cleepers (and others doing so). To act like the team should get a pass every time they lose, is odd to me. Sometimes criticism is very justified. I don't mind losses where the guys play hard. What I do mind is losing due to a lack of heart/effort which happened today undeniably. DJ/Griffin especially looked like they flat out didn't give a ****. No fight, no hustle, no focus.

Clippersfan86

05/08/2014 - 01:57 AM PST

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That being said... I expected 1-1 going home best case. Never thought we'd sweep them at home. Just wanted to see more fight.

bk201

05/08/2014 - 02:09 AM PST

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I think we need to win these 2 home games because i don't think we'll win in game 7 in OKC...

cleepers

05/08/2014 - 02:12 AM PST

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I agree.

During Vinny's whole tenure, I blamed players for lack of effort, focus, and mental/emotional fortitude while everybody else put it all on the coach.

I would do the same tonight too - our bigs were truly terrible - but for the fact that there was never a way we could win this game.

Blake and DJ were unbelievably passive... because one was in foul trouble and the other daren't look up from the floor for fear of having the same happen to him.

Jamal chucked unashamedly... because 30-foot miracles were our only chance to even stay competitive.

Tonight:

Clips screen = moving screen

Clips man defense = Clips foul

block/charge call = Clips block/Clips charge

In English football, a recently-retired, celebrated player plays one last exhibition game where all the box-office receipts are donated to him as a "thank you" from his team and the league. He gets to do pretty much whatever he wants and the refs are there just to honor him. They call these games "testimonials".

Tonight was a Kevin Durant testimonial game.

BaadMaster

05/08/2014 - 02:14 AM PST

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Sometimes players just don't have it. Not every MJ game was a gem. Kobe sucked a lot. LeBron has off games. Biorhythms, girlfriend troubles, lack of sleep, heavy legs -- anything can turn a superstar, in any given game, into an ordinary player.

Plus, these guys are playing against top NBA defenses in the post season. And no team will win every game. After that speech, and the KD MVP hoopla. you cannot expect ANY team to beat the Thunder. Would you have rathered it was a close game and a KD ref gifted him the game-winning free throws? That would have happened in a close game you know.

Please guys, don't get so bent out of shape. CP3 misses some free throws and it's "Chris Paul sucks" on this board. Yes, he will suck from time to time. As will KD, Hibbert, LeBron, Cp3, BG, Lillard (boy did he suck!) -- any NBA superstar. And they are superstars because, over time, they will be great. BUT NOT EVERY FRIGGIN' GAME. That is why they are on a TEAM.

The bottom line is that we have home court (everyone here would have been happy with a split in OKC) and we will come out smoking next game.

This Clippers squad is special. Believe it.

Clippersfan86

05/08/2014 - 02:23 AM PST

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Cleepers I agree refs murdered us too.

CapsNClips

05/08/2014 - 02:28 AM PST

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I honestly don't think Blake and DJ didn't care tonight. I really just think Perkins and Ibaka did a great job tonight on offense and defense.

I think it was just going to be their night regardless of how well DJ and Blake defended.

bk201

05/08/2014 - 02:35 AM PST

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I believe all us understand that sometimes superstars get to struggle in a game or two but our problem, especially with Blake, is the effort. He had the athleticism to get double digit rebound and to get those he needs to make and effort, if he can't help his team on offensive end because his off (which we all understand), he needs to look for another way.

Personally, I bash on Blake for effort alone which is ironic because we all knew that Griffin is the most hardworking basketplayer in this league.

cleepers

05/08/2014 - 02:35 AM PST

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Next game should theoretically be evenly officiated. If some of our guys don't show up, I'll be mad too.

Just a shame that JJ's hot hand couldn't overpower the predetermined fate of this game.

BaadMaster

05/08/2014 - 03:31 AM PST

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Let's get real. Does anyone here REALLY think the Clippers had a snowball's chance in hell against OKC after Kevin Durant's MVP speech? After thanking everyone except Mother Teresa, would the NBA let their "face" let the Thunder sink into oblivion without a fight. (Believe me, if they lost and went down 0-2, the NBA top brass would find the nearest bridge to jump off. (Preferably the Golden Gate, near the Warriors.) If the Clippers played hard, and the game was close, the refs would have fouled everyone out except Ryan Hollins.

This was a done deal and every Clipper player knew it. If I lived in Vegas, I would have bet the house and my girlfriend on it. (J/k about the girlfriend....maybe not!) In fact, I never leave "my" team even when they are down 20. But this game was the exception. If you look at the game posts, I was gone as soon as the Clippers gave them a whole bunch of easy rebounds and steals. In reality, this was over as soon as Kevin gave "The Speech." (Now let's not make him into Lincoln -- the President, not the car -- or MLK. It was only good in comparison to the other MVP speeches. Let's see how much he "loves" his team mates and OKC when free agency arrives.)

Now we can get back to playoff basketball.

The Clippers have the better team, the better coach and home court advantage. 'Nuff said.

L.A. in SIX!!!!

CLIPSET

05/08/2014 - 03:38 AM PST

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I don't think the guys quit. We battled but considering all the events leading up to game 2 it would have been impossible to beat them tonight. All good, we got the split and home court advantage. I couldn't believe the call on the very first possession of the game. Who knows, maybe a foul free CP3 changes the the tempo of the game in the 1st quarter. Durant is going to get his regardless, I think Matt is doing a good job overall. Doc should play DC on Westbrook more and trap him hard when he's posting up. Keep Sefalosha/Perkins under 15 pts combined. Maybe even hack-a -Perk to slow OKC's tempo. Blake needs to rebound better and needs to face up on Ibaka at the free throw line. As much as I wanted this game, we just need to defend our home court and we'll be ok. Maybe run a couple plays for DJ to get him going. OKC can't stop JJ when he comes off the curl. He's literally at the basket all the time when they run that play.

ps- **** the refs!!! we got called for 6 or so moving screens. Clips in 6!

FlyingLion

05/08/2014 - 04:20 AM PST

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Game 3 westbrook will go back to bricking.

23efren23

05/08/2014 - 04:42 AM PST

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Trade Blake griffin bring David west and Carmelo or lebron and David west and we will win unlimited rings use Blake as bate! Blake is worse defender in nba history

BaadMaster

05/08/2014 - 05:07 AM PST

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Are you for real?

toohipcliptoslip

05/08/2014 - 06:22 AM PST

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We can't win when we get killed on the boards. We definitely can't win when Blake is shut down. We can't win when we chuck threes or say "OK Jamal we'll watch you"

Back in the day in the South there were literacy tests to qualify you for voting.

A white guy goes to the polls in Mississippi. The Sheriff gives him a Grade One Primer. "Do you know what that says Billy Bob?" "Yeah "See spot run'" he replied. "OK Billy Bob you pass" A black man comes in and they hand him Homer's Iliad in the original Greek. The Sheriff asks "Do you know what that says?" Answer "Of course I do. It says black folks aren't voting in Mississippi"

What does it mean when Durant gets the MVP? The Clippers ain't gonna win.

Kerr "Those first two fouls on CP were wrong" "Maybe that's a make up call for their errors"

Barkley "Durant flopped" "Jordan didn't set a moving screen" "Jordan got fouled" The charge where Fisher's feet were still moving.

Yes we played poorly. I never used to complain about calls but the NBA has to do something (or not)

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY AND OURS IS FRIDAY BOW WOW

Let's eviscerate them

ClipperKyle32

05/08/2014 - 06:48 AM PST

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I am not solely blaming this on the refs , because trust me... I know. Some of our players played like Golden State. But the entire game was rigged lol. Chris got two quick fouls....

I said it early in the thread that Chris's two fouls would come and cost us, and they did. Refs wasted no time in getting rid of him after what happened in game 1. He needs to carry us this series with Blake and DJ being no shows.

Heisenberg

05/08/2014 - 08:00 AM PST

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Interesting how a "one dimensional" team consistently has one of the best records in the whole league. Anyway, your coach and players do not agree with you and they know that OKC is far from being a one dimensional team. For instance , Ibaka is one of the best mid range shooters in the league, being #4 in shot percentage, and unlike DJ, he doesn't predominantly play in the paint.

Heisenberg

05/08/2014 - 08:02 AM PST

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Really so like it's a conspiracy and the refs colluded to get OKC to win? Man, why even play the game?

Bingo3

05/08/2014 - 08:11 AM PST

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So your're saying the 2 fouls he picked up early we're actually fouls? We played bad, but there was some blatant rigging going on

pageC4

05/08/2014 - 08:34 AM PST

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After the 3rd quarter I fell asleep. The guys were battling and were keeping the game competitive, but the 3rd quarter was the turning point where we just gave the game away. I hate the "refs screwed us" argument. There were a lot of reasons why we lost, and one of them was due to not being efficient from beyond the arc. What were we like 9/27? Anyhow, people need to just stop using the refs as a scapegoat. The Thunder got hot in the third and we didn't respond

LKR4LFE

05/08/2014 - 08:54 AM PST

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clippers fans, instead of blaming ALL of your losses on the refs how about:

have your "third best player in the league" show up for games when he's matched against real PFs. he just got punked, flat out punked. Ibaka took his heart, choked him on it and he looked like a 2 year old baby out there.

how about someone else off the bench contribute instead of JUST Jamal Crawford. Jared Dudly and Danny Granger are not gonna cut it you THINK you're gonna win a championship.

how about your big men learn some post moves instead of just dunks, that way when the rest of the team is playing like crap cp3 can actually dump the ball into the post to get some easy baskets. note to clippers....basketball is more than just dunks.

how about you guys actually play some defense...oh and rebound the ball because westbrook looked like bill russell out there.

5 and last but not least, why don't you guys stop the freaking crying and complaining about the refs. the first call on paul was not a foul, but he ran into the referee and the ref ran into westbrook which consequently turned into a turnover for the thunder. a foul has to be called. you do know the rules of basketball right? the calls were horrible BOTH ways with the refs BLATANTLY making up for doc's b****ing and crying. i'm sure you guys weren't complaining when paul literally pulled westbrook's arm out of socket and no foul was called. you guys want to be champions, i'm sure you didn't think it would be a cake walk did you? you have to play against the crowd, the refs, the other team and even your own team at times. you can tell that you've guys never been to the show before, you whine like a bunch of babies. and i HOPE you don't play the spurs, then you'll really be playing against the refs.

cashdld

05/08/2014 - 08:59 AM PST

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Blake needs to stick to the game plan and be aggressive. All year long he used and faceup game and pick and pop, and now when the playoffs come around he wants to back down everyone. His strength is his speed, once he catches the ball he should be in attack mode. Paul has been good, all he has to do is maintain attack early but also remain pateince.whenever they double dish it to an open player for the score or reset the initial play. On defense we have to find a better way to defend , I'll say we double there stars as they attack the paint, force them to beat you with just shooting. But most of all the team has to be intense on defense and aggressive on offense because being passive is gonna result in second guess mistakes which lead to turnovers and fast break dunks.

Heisenberg

05/08/2014 - 09:06 AM PST

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Sigh. So one of the best teams in the league, with one of the best homecourt advantages in the league only won because of KD's speech (what?) and because the nba wanted them to? Oh jeez, and the President of the US is an illuminati puppet too right?

Heisenberg

05/08/2014 - 09:11 AM PST

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I don't remember to be honest, but a lot of poeple said one of them wasn't a foul, so fair enough, not a great call. But those 50/50 calls go that way and it's really what can do you do about that? Every ref is different and they don't all call them the same way. But what about when Paul pulled Westbrook's arm, and wasn't called? That was a blatant no call. There were several calls like that, but the game is played so fast guys get fouled all the time and don't get calls. Either way, the refs had little to do with why LAC lost last night. WHen your best player doesn't show up and you don't play D and you can barely hit a 3, you usually lose.

pageC4

05/08/2014 - 09:30 AM PST

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lakers fans instead of trolling clipper forums how about:

staying on lakers forum's and talk about how the lakers are doing in the playoffs...ooops you didn't make it to the playoffs.

stop crying about the chris paul trade, and you call us whiny.

Stop trying to convince yourself that the Clippers won't win a championship because the clippers have just stolen home court advantage from the thunder

LKR4LFE

05/08/2014 - 09:40 AM PST

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I will stop coming on here when trifling clippers fans stop coming on our site. And TRUST ME I'm not the one who needs convincing your third best player in the league needs convincing. Or maybe he needs his cape LMBO. Yeah you have home court advantage now you better hope Cp3 has another out of body experience because you will need it to win this series. Hmmm ITS TEA TIME now.

ClipperPostman

05/08/2014 - 10:30 AM PST

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You had 2 players get near triple doubles. Realistically we aren't going to

sweep through the playoffs. BUT

I really don't like this playoff trend of "Oh we took home court game one lets

take the next night off". That's the attitude the clippers had last night. As if

they "Achieved their goal" so really didn't play hard.

Yea going home 1-1 is always the goal, but you can't just assume you are

going to win every home game against a team like OKC.

ClippersDA

05/08/2014 - 10:39 AM PST

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Of course skip bayless thinks okc will now sweep us.

cleepers

05/08/2014 - 10:40 AM PST

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"Fan of another team creating disrespectful/insulting posts/topics regarding the Clippers with the intent of eliciting a negative reaction from fellow members is prohibited."

Yes I'd rather be playing New Orleans right now but in the POs you play against teams with good records. Out of the teams that had the top records in the league (like you know, the playoff teams), OKC is probably thee most one-dimensional. Ibaka shows up in spurts, beyond that this team does not have many weapons. Compared to GS, SA, and Portland, there just aren't as many guys that you have guard and respect.

Thanks for the insight about what Doc and our players are thinking, you must be really important since they're confiding in you. I'm sure they respect the opponent just like they respected GS and will respect SA in a couple weeks but this is going to be our easiest series when it's all said and done. There are not two players on this planet that can beat the Clips TEAM with home court 3 out of 5.

FightOnRon

05/08/2014 - 10:56 AM PST

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You may as well ban him now,you now it's coming. Faker fans still think the are relevant Want to believe they won something this year but what I am not sure. Delusional.

PS: how they peed their pants when they thought they would get CP3,now he is worthless according to them. How they hoped BG32 would jump to their side when his contract was up,now he is 3rd best in the league (wait,they have no MVP candidates this year so they have no best in the league) and he is no good. But they have a guy that made 30 million for playing 6 games,nicely done.

There was no way were going win the 2nd game in OKC,just as there is no way they win tomorrow. All the BS going on and that first fake foul on CP3 set the table for the night. It was the human insects night and we just were not allowed to mix it up. And that is fine. Because we now know the crap we face, Doc will make adjustments and we win the next two. Far far far from over. GS was a much better team then these guys, these guys just have the media behind them.

wessleejr

05/08/2014 - 10:56 AM PST

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Let him come here, they still have their forum but nobody cares anymore, they are like ants, and we are like a sugar. expect more to register here, because nobody answer their post in LTB everybody are in fishing expedition. They want LOVE.

LKR4LFE

05/08/2014 - 10:56 AM PST

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trust me, i have NO desire hanging out here!

TheDude

05/08/2014 - 10:58 AM PST

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In the first 14 seconds there was a foul on CP, in which he never came close to the actual player and another foul on Blake for taking a whiff at the ball after it was thrown in the post. Both were phantom calls and were targeted on our two best players. then DJ got a foul on a ridiculous call about 2 minutes in. That completely changes the game. The refs took CP out at the 8minute mark of 1st quarter and we fell behind as a result.

If we had won this game you're looking at a sweep and the NBA would not let that happen.